The mind-blowing gob-smacking ball-busting 2016 Predictions Thread

That seems very likely. I'm not sure the series' credibility can afford another launch as shonky as the last two!

Syndicate wasn't even shonky though, the only glitch I encountered was one instance of character not loading in a cutscene, that's not many issues compared to most games. Unity had a poor PC release but ran fine on consoles. The "problems" with Creed are blown way out of proportion because people don't like Ubisoft. It was the same case with all EA games a couple of years ago...

Fair enough on that front, but they are tedious, repetitive, lifeless games even when they work.

Drunkalilly wrote:

Fair enough on that front, but they are tedious, repetitive, lifeless games even when they work.

To each their own, but I've always had an absolute blast with them and I can't say I've found them repetitive. The first, sure, but once Ezio jumped into the scene the games really picked up. This whole conversation's actually got me wanting to write up a series retrospective - I've got them all on PS3 and PS4 now, so perhaps that'll be a summer project for myself.

2016 prediction: The new COD will be Modern War4, and in a bid to combat Sony taking the COD crown this year Microsoft will be doing the previous 3 as backwards compatible/ free games like Fallout 3 with 4.

That'd be worth it just to play the original Modern Warfare again. What a game.

That was the only one with a singleplayer I really cared about. Man, crawling after the nuke...

I don't think they would, Activisions servers for games older than 2 years are a sham, plus I can't see them being happy to just give it away when they released Prototype for £20+ with next to no work.

Just the campaigns, maybe. If not a freelease, a full-on HD Collection. Call of Duty: The Soap MacTavish Collection, anyone?

Drunkalilly wrote:

2016 prediction: The new COD will be Modern War4, and in a bid to combat Sony taking the COD crown this year Microsoft will be doing the previous 3 as backwards compatible/ free games like Fallout 3 with 4.

Yes for the first from what I hear the second nah as it's not up to MS but Activision who would some how try to resell the old ones to us.

Drunkalilly wrote:

2016 prediction: The new COD will be Modern War4, and in a bid to combat Sony taking the COD crown this year Microsoft will be doing the previous 3 as backwards compatible/ free games like Fallout 3 with 4.

I'd really like if they just went back to a WWII setting as I'm tired of the futuristic nonsense now.

I don't think WWII would work for the audience who plays it now, but absolutely modern might be a nice counterbalance to the overly sci-fi stuff.

Even I'd play COD if they had another go at WWII.

JayMoyles wrote:

Back on topic - I predict there will not be a mainline Creed game this year. There's been rumblings of this already, but I think they're going to take a much needed year away from the series.

A winner is me! http://blog.ubi.com/a-message-from-the-assassins-creed-team/

Aye, that's probably a good idea. It's not really the sort of game that benefits from an annual release. I don't know why I'm commenting on this; I don't even play Assassin's Creed games! But I would like to dive in; however the word "generic" has escaped from reviews of the recent iterations, so I've avoided for now.

Also, on the subject of UbiBlog, I wouldn't normally read the corporate "blogs" but Mikel Reparaz is an awesome dude, part of GamesRadar US' golden generation (but not awesomedude). While podcasts are also on topic elsewhere, I'd recommend Vidjagame Apocalypse, which he gets to host without his Ubi-attachment.

I'll tell you what I'd like when Assassin's Creed returns: no animus stuff. Just plop us in the past, no time paradox, no weird trippy bits... just jumping on pyramids and stabbing bad men.

If I'm ever desperate for another podcast, I might give that one a go. I'm already feeling like the loony lefty in me will automatically hate it.

Drunkalilly wrote:

I'll tell you what I'd like when Assassin's Creed returns: no animus stuff. Just plop us in the past, no time paradox, no weird trippy bits... just jumping on pyramids and stabbing bad men.

I loved the Animus stuff because it was tying together an overall plot throughout the games which seemed to be heading towards a modern day AC game, but they inexplicably dropped that in ACIII.

See a doctor.

The last 2 games have been practically just that. The only "weird stuff" involved a quick dip into 2 other ages in Paris and a trip to WW2 London, both nice distractions.

I'm a little sad that there won't be a Creed this year, it's become a Christmas staple for me, so will be a bit odd to not have it. I just hope the break gives something truly special when it is back.

To be fair, I've not played either of the most recent two. I just remember the Animus business, all the white voids and incongrous holodeck borders, really taking me out of the atmosphere I was enjoying.

The ending of ACII was the best part though, when it went off the deep end

I'm wrong on one of my predictions already as the Vive is not cheaper then the Rift but $200 more at $800, I had this feeling after the price of the rift was announced and the sort of outcry about the price that they would try to make the Vive cheaper then it but out of all the VR headsets, I've used Vive is the best by far and you get all the tracking stuff in the box when you but it that you can wonder around your room bumping into things.

I'm even more curious on how Sony will price the PSVR as a certain famous analyst reckons they can get away with $500 due to the prices of the other two plus a decent rig on top (there's a $1500 rift bundle with a rig that is like minimum specs for it to all run fine) but seems weird that the VR may cost more then the hardware to run it, in the case of the PS4 & PSVR.

Now knowing more of the VR's I'm going $350 for PSVR with a game packed in and that's being very optimistic.

Sony have the advantage of being able to sell theirs at a loss because they earn a load of dosh from games and other hardware sales. The Rift lads only have the Rift, unless I'm mistaken, so until manufacturing costs diminish they probably cannot afford the price flexibility that Sony will be able to.

That said, I doubt Sony's VR is going to be cheap considering how expensive the Rift is, but I'd be amazed if it wasn't significantly cheaper than any alternative which isn't Google Cardboard.

The rift lads make the £99 one for Samsung Galaxy Phones and Facebook money backing them, I don't know how well of HTC are for the Vive if they are Valve could take a loss on there's.

But like you say Sony could take like a $50 loss on each unit and make it back in time on sales of games maybe films as well.